I could say my wedding or my Kids, but the one thing that changed me and the way I thought about life and the person I am was the death of my father. It was back in 1990. Before then I was just a happy go lucky kinda person with no plans, and although I was with someone (now my wife) I didn't take much as seriously as I should have.

We came back of holiday and was told he was oin life support in Hospital and there wasn't much hope. The brain scan had said he was clinically dead but there may be a flicker there.

The moment came when I walking in to ITU and saw him. I felt his presence and the thing that made him there, was there. Next morning we returned to the hospital and there was nothing there. No presence, no signs ne feeling, just the empty shell of a body. He'd gone for me. I knew he'd held on for me to return home and that I was there for my Mum. Now I was back and she had me he was able to go and be at peace.

To be honest i really can't think of a single even that has changed my way of life completely yet. I have written out 3 different stories and was going to post them, then i realized that they really didn't change my life that much. So i guess i can say either i have been lucky enough not to have my life turned upside down, or I have been extremely unlucky never to have had my life turnded upside down, who knows.

I'd say I've had two. One was when I had this "Aha!" moment that changed my basic thinking from pessimism to optimism, basically leaving any depression behind. That came in handy when I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. The impact MS has had has been pretty immense.

For me was a moment that had nothing to do with physical health, it was the moment when the plane fully loaded with refugees (I was one of them) landed at JFK. I was immediately innundated by a great feeling of accomplishment of having finally found Freedom.

There's no way round this: my first-born son's death was an incision in my entire life. I suddenly felt very old.
To be realising that I came out of that still my own self was a good experience.
I then felt quite strong.

When I was nineteen a cherished one of mine ended his life. That brought adulthood and reality and the effects of choices on those around you slamming into me.

I found love at an early age: the kind where you realize that you've only been living a partial life and in the space of three seconds, your world becomes color, your horizon straightens, your soul knocks on your heart and says, "See ... I told you! Look! This is it!" and you know what it is to breathe.

I looked down the barrel of a 9mm while holding my infant son and decided at that instant that I was not going to wilt and be abused anymore. I decided to survive ... and to take my son and give him the very best of what was important: love and family. I won that battle.

I walked out of a hospital room last month after saying goodbye to someone very dear to me ... wondering if I'd ever get that image out of my mind ... till I realized it was for my benefit ... not his. When I got the phone call yesterday that he'd passed, I closed my eyes and smiled, remembering his smile and sweet words.

We all have life altering moments ... sometimes you're much older before you realize they were life altering. That's the beauty of life. It is ever-changing.

Deciding to tell my best friend that I had feelings for her, we've been together for a year as of yesterday, and it's been the best year of my life, hands down.
Also, my decision to take a year off school last year and go to China to teach English had a big impact on me (it was also where I got into photography ). It forced me to grow up a bit (not too much though, I'm only 20), and realize how much there really is out there in this world.

I'd have to say my moment was when my Dad died two and a half years ago. It taught me to "seize the moment". I've learned to tell the people I care about that I love them, even if it might seem uncomfortable. I've learned to not sweat the small stuff, things have a way of working out. Also, not to wait for the perfect time to get what I want. Going to the New York meet-up was a perfect example of this. I waited for almost ten years to fullfill my dream of going to NY, so I just decided to go and there was no stopping me.